Worldbuilding, Writing, and Miscellanea

Miscellaneous Top 6

Some books that either a) don’t fit into one of the previous categories or b) that I’ve chosen to omit from one of the categories for subjective reasons.

1) Lolita, Vladimir Nabokov

The classic novel from Nabokov, disturbing but good for that.

2) The Things They Carried, Tim O’Brien

Excellent novel-story collection recounting O’Brien’s experiences in Vietnam during the war through fiction. He includes stories of his own, those from friends, those they heard thrid or fourth hand, and some completely fictional as well as some of the aftermath. Throughout, though, he never tells the audience which stories are which.

3) The Good Earth, Pearl S. Buck

Very good take on both Chinese culture within a particular era and a multi-generational morality play.

4) David Morrell (anything he’s written)

Phenomenal modern thriller-action writer, somewhat similar to Robert Ludlum. Always includes a fair bit of history in his work. In some ways, he’s like Tom Clancy but more focused on psycho-social elements than technological. He’s also written for Marvel (Spider-Man and Captain America) and created the character John Rambo.

5) Kate Daniels-series, Ilona Andrews

Great urban fantasy series, which I could have included under Fantasy Top 10, but didn’t for subjective reasons. I love the worldbuilding throughout the series, from the magic-apocalypse that is ending the technological world to the idea of living, changing magic to the authors’ take on vampires and other paranormal creatures.

6) Southern Vampire-series, Charlaine Harris

Also urban fantasy and left out of my Fantasy Top 10 for subjective reasons. Good series that was turned into the True Blood series, although after the first season the two bear no resemblance to each other. Fun series of paranormal mysteries filled with vampires, fairies, shifters, werebeasts, demons (usually good guys), witches, and the occasional dimension hopper.